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Australia's bold policy to ban social media access for individuals under sixteen is sparking debate worldwide. Officials, campaigners, and families are watching with great interest to see if this tactic will become a template for countries abroad.

European Momentum

Throughout Europe, a growing group of countries are considering similar bans.

• Denmark has stated a prohibition on social media for youth below 15, with the leader declaring that phones and apps are "robbing our kids' innocence". The policy is expected to be formalized next year.
• Norway is set to introduce a access barrier of 15, highlighting the need to protect the young from the "manipulative force of the AI".
• The Irish government is working on a online verification tool to verify the identity and age of social media participants. Authorities have indicated that an similar ban could be "a potential measures under consideration".
• In Spain, the leader has asked the legislature to pass a proposal increasing the legal age for joining social media to 16.
• In The French government, the president has threatened a ban for under-15s, and a parliamentary commission has endorsed a related action, alongside an overnight "screen time restriction" for older teenagers.
• The authorities in The Dutch government has advised parents to prevent their children from social media up to the age of 15.

Across the European Union, the EU parliament has passed a symbolic motion demanding a ban for minors except if guardian approval is provided. While it highlights of the "habit-forming" design of these apps, the resolution does not create enforceable legislation.

"A clear age barrier is a good first step," commented a leading parliamentarian behind the initiative.

The United Kingdom: A Cautious Eye

For the United Kingdom, the government has remained open to a potential ban, arguing that "nothing is off the table" but insisting any policy must be "supported by conclusive research".

Previously, momentum built behind a legislative effort to introduce restrictions on social media use by minors, but it was in the end weakened. However, the government pledged to further research the issue.

Charities have expressed warnings. A prominent charity set up by the family of a girl who was lost after encountering disturbing social media material argues that a blanket age ban could fail to protect children and could result in a "cliff edge" of risk when users turn 16.

"Australia's ban is a answer to the refusal of the tech sector to design products and services that are appropriate and suitable for minors," commented a influential child protection advocate.

America: A Fragmented Approach

Stateside, action is mostly happening at the local level against a backdrop of country-wide gridlock.

• Utah demands guardian permission for those under 18 to use social media and controls late-night use.
• Florida has enacted a measure barring those below 14 from creating accounts on social media, though it faces legal challenges.
• Virginia has enacted a law capping teenagers to 60 minutes of social media time per day, with extra use requiring parental permission.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have also passed measures requiring parental consent for minors to create social media presences.

Even with widespread concern and suggestions from various individuals to copy this path, a federal ban is right now seen as improbable.

International Perspectives

Apart from the West, further states are similarly considering moves.

• Malaysia plans to prohibit social media for under-16s beginning next year.
• Brazil has increased the required age for the platform Instagram to 16.

However, global bodies adopt a more measured tone. The UN children's agency has advised that blanket prohibitions have downsides and "could prove counterproductive". The organization notes that the internet can be a "lifeline" for isolated young people and that government action should not be a "replacement" for social media firms to improve child safeguards.

Even as this global debate unfolds, the steps of Australia and its followers demonstrate that governments globally are less and less content to delay for the industry to make changes on their own.